First Presbyterian Church of Mabank Texas

Women's Ministries

Presbyterian Women’s Purpose

Forgiven and freed by God in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves:

To nurture our faith through prayer and Bible study,
To support the mission of the church worldwide,
To work for justice and peace, and
To build an inclusive, caring community of women that strengthens the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and witness to the promise of God’s kingdom.

THIS IS AN INVITATION TO…..
Join other Presbyterian Women in continuing our heritage of participation in global mission, advocacy for human rights and the leadership development of women, locally and globally…..

Share, through this supportive community, your gifts, discovered, developed and used with appreciation, thereby enriching your own spiritual life……

Invest your own unique talents and time to help make important decisions, provide leadership for meaningful action and witness to God’s love and grace….

Discover and develop new skills as you accept the responsibilities and learning opportunities PW brings…..

Celebrate with others the Good News, lived out in community; the unity with diversity, enriching all; your partnership with God and other women, by which you make a difference, in your own unique way, and contribute to a world of justice and peace, yet to be……

“For, as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one Body in Christ, and individual members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” Romans 12:4-8 RSV

YOU ARE INVITED….

The Presbyterian Women of First Presbyterian church–Mabank invite you to experience an exciting year of:
Mission
Bible study
Fellowship

Presbyterian Women gather the second Saturday of every month from September through June. Gathering time is 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Refreshments are served followed by a business meeting. A devotional and Bible study follows.

Mission Action & Quilting Circles gather in Fellowship Hall every Monday at 8:30 a.m. We make stuffed animals for children who are hospitalized and layette sets for Parkland Hospital in Dallas. We also work on Fall Festival bazaar items.

WHENEVER CHRISTIANS RESPOND TO GOD’S LOVE FOR THEM, THERE IS A CELEBRATION!

It may take the form of a prayer of thanksgiving; it may be a shout of joy; it may be a smile or a tear; it may be an act of loving kindness; or it may be a gift of money.
Whatever the response, it’s a celebration!

Presbyterian Women of First Presbyterian Church-Mabank do a lot of celebrating!!!

We celebrate with prayers of thanksgiving and praise and with prayers of care and concern.

Shouts of joy are often heard in a gathering of PW, especially when we travel to attend meetings and fellowship with other PW groups in Grace Presbytery. We are joyful and thankful as we gaze on the gifts gathered for local children in December and distributed by the Salvation Army.

Smiles and tears are shared as we work and fellowship while making stuffed animals, while working on our mission projects, while studying our yearly PW Bible study, while working together to make our Fall Festival possible.

We celebrate God with acts of loving kindness as we send cards to our shut-ins and deliver baskets of surprises to the homebound.

We celebrate PW locally, church wide and worldwide as we give for God’s work, gifts of money to:
- Our local children’s fund
- Least coin offering (to Grace Presbytery and distributed worldwide to promote peace, justice and reconciliation)
- Thank Offering (to Grace Presbytery to support medical mission throughout the world and new creative ideas of mission worldwide)
- Birthday Offering (to meet major mission needs)
- Waxahachie and Itasca Children’s Services
- Blanket Sunday (traditionally the 2^nd Sunday in February. Money donated by the congregation is used to distribute blankets to those in need around the world.)

On the second Monday of each month, PW celebrate the birthdays of that month with a covered dish luncheon in Fellowship Hall. Everyone is invited to attend.

Prayer Shawl Ministry meets every Wednesday at 1:30 pm for an hour in Fellowship Hall. We knit or crochet shawls/throws. They are usually given in celebration, appreciation, or in recognition of a person or an event in a person’s life. They are an outward and tangible sign of God’s love and presence with us through all of our days. They may be given at happy times (weddings, births or birthdays) or times of sadness (illness, bereavement, or loss.) We teach knitting and crocheting for those who want to learn. Everyone is welcome – we have something for you to do!

Besides our own projects and activities within First Presbyterian Church–Mabank, PW also participates in Fall Gathering and Spring Workshops which are both sponsored by Grace Presbytery PW. This gives us a chance to fellowship with women from other Presbyterian churches in East Texas and the D/FW metroplex.

PW OFFICERS FOR SEPT. 2015 - SEPT. 2016

Moderator - Donna McCune
Vice Moderator - Lavonne Dennis
Secretary - Beverly Gorden
Treasurer - Kathy Cryer
Historian - Jenny Duncan

COORDINATORS:
Bible Study - June Tinsley
Mission Action - Shirley English and Ann Rouse
Prayer Shawl - Donna McCune
Music - Ruth Eickel
Communication - Sunshine—Mary Brown and Ann Rouse
PW Courier—Lavonne Dennis
Busy Bees - Mary Ann Odom
Quilting - Sharon Marszalek

PROJECTS:
Fall Festival - Bake Sale—Judith Wagner, Jams and Jellies—Bev Gorden, Arts and Crafts—Mary Ann Odom
DAR Luncheon - May—Carolyn Prince
Mabank Street Fair - May—Anne Burnett, Geneice Morris
Summer Tea - July—
Officer Search (3) - Carolyn Prince (elect 2 in Sept.)
*Chrismon Tree - Geneice Morris, Mary Sutton, Jenny Duncan, Kathy Cryer, and June Tinsley
Liaison to Session - Mary Ann Odom

*With support of Worship Committee

History of the Busy Bees

In 1903, the church did not have enough money to pay for the last load of cypress wood to finish the new church building. The ladies of the church sprang into action and sold chickens, eggs, baked goods, jams, and whatever they could to raise the money. The "Busy Bees" of the 1900's continue even today.

Busy Bees meet every Monday Morning at 9:00 AM. We work on a variety of crafts - all in preparation for our sales. Everyone is welcome to join us.

Click here to find out about the Summer Tea

Click here to see the brochure for the 2014 Summer Tea "Texas to a Tea". The brochure includes the menu and full explanation of all the tables.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry at First Presbyterian Church, Mabank includes any and all who wish to participate in any way. Some participate by actually knitting, or crocheting Prayer shawls. Others participate by donating funds, and/or materials to the creation of the shawls. Still, others participate by simply requesting that prayer shawls be created for, and given to, specific individuals. (Prayer shawl recipients may or may not be members of this congregation.)

What is a prayer shawl?
The prayer shawl is a symbol - a reminder. First and foremost, it symbolizes the love, care, and concern that God has for each of us. Its warmth, soft texture, and beauty reflect the warmth, softness, and beauty of God's love. Further, the shawl symbolizes the love that Christians have for others. As a symbol, the shawl helps in many ways. First, it reminds us of the love we share among ourselves. The shawl also helps "focus" on God and His wonderful love. As a person creates, gives, or receives a shawl, he/she can use the shawl as a point-of-focus on God's love and the love of Christians.

How are the prayer shawls created?
The shawls are knitted (or crocheted) by individuals participating in the ministry - men, women, church members, and friends, anyone who wishes.

Who decides who receives the shawls?
Anyone can request that a shawl be created and can designate a particular recipient for that shawl. The recipient does not have to be a member of this congregation. Once the shawl has been created, it will be given to the designated recipient (by the ministry, or by the person who requested it).

Why would I want to create or request a shawl?
Shawls are usually, but not necessarily, given in celebration, appreciation, or recognition of a person or an event in a person's life. They are an outward and tangible sign of God's love and Christian love. They may be given at happy times (weddings, births or birthdays, etc.) or time of sadness (illness, bereavement, other loss).

Who can knit/crochet the shawls?
You can, if you wish - even if you don't know how to knit or crochet! We have several in our group who'll happily teach you. The ministry is wide open to everyone (women of the church, men of the church, friends of members of the church).

Do the shawl "creators" work together or independently?
Both. We meet at the church on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. for about an hour. There we share and learn and work together. We especially use this time to focus on God's love - the love that the shawls symbolize. Then we work independently to do most of the knitting and/or crocheting. Everyone is very welcome to join us during our Wednesday meetings - whether they are actually shawl "creators" or not. It's a great time for fellowship and reflecting on God's love.

What if I can't come every Wednesday?
Come as often as you can. Regular attendance is not required.

How long does it take to create a shawl?
That depends on you, the shawl's creator. It depends upon our experience, your speed, the time you have to spend on it each day. Some shawls can be created in a little as a couple of days; others take weeks or even months.

Other questions?
If you are interested in participating, or have other questions, contact the church office at 1-903-887-2571.

Fall Festival

The First Presbyterian Church of Mabank will hold its annual Fall Festival commemorating both the Presbyterian Women’s turn of the century money raising activity and recreating a side of Mabank’s “Trade Days”. In 1903, the church did not have enough money to pay for the last load of cypress wood to finish the new church building. The ladies of the church, called the “Busy Bees”, sprang into action and sold chickens, eggs, baked goods, jams, and whatever they could to raise the money.

In 1989 this Election Day event began as a rummage sale in addition to the stew luncheon. In 1990 an Arts and craft sale was added. Then in 1991 the Fall Festival as we now know it was born, evolving to include all members of the congregation hosting this event –both men and women. As has been our tradition for 26 years, it is held at the church located at 112 W Mt. Vernon Street in Mabank during the week of the November Election. The dates this year will be November 2, 3, and 4^th, 2015.

Monies raised will support the ongoing mission of our 119 year old church as we continue to witness in this area. From making prayer shawls to Special Olympics donations, from making stuffed animals for hospitalized children to contributing to the Mabank Area Good Samaritans (M.A.G.S), our church contributes their time and talents to making our community a better place to live. Funds raised through events such as this make those contributions possible.

The night before the Festival, Monday, November 2^nd, the church will open with a Bake and Craft Pre-Sale from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. We will have baked goods, homemade jams, jellies, pickles, salsas, dry soup mixes and lots of great gifts. The "Busy Bees" have been working hard on the craft items that will be available for sale. The four craft themes will be:

Season's Greetings.....a traditional group...red, green, white and black. Featured will be wreaths, lanterns, bird cages, red birds, candlesticks and glass candle holders.
Glisten.....a sparkly nature group...silver, gold and lots of glitter. It will include ornaments, wreaths, swags, napkins, placemats, bird cages and mercury glass candleholders.
Cowboy Christmas.....denim blue, red, green, turquoise are he color highlights in this fun group. You can expect to see lots of pillows, napkin rings, little red wagons, silverware holders, bandanas, ornaments, throws....a very fun group!
Merry and Bright.....bright, fun, young group….hot pink, red, turquoise and chartreuse….look for small and large tote bags, hot pads, our ever popular mug mats, small lighted trees, hot chocolate in bags....all in bright colors.

Once you are done shopping, pick up dinner featuring our famous Presbyterian “Stew to Go” meal which includes beef stew, cornbread, dessert, and a drink. This is the same menu that was served by the “Busy Bees” in the early 1900’s! The cost is $8.00 for one meal or $15.00 for two.

On Election Day, Tuesday, November 3^rd, our Fall Festival will be in full swing. The Craft Sale and a Bake Sale will run from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The Beef Stew meal with all the fixin’s will be available for Dine In or “Stew to Go” from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. In addition, there will be a drawing for the beautiful hand sewn “Spinning Star” quilt at 2:00 PM. Tickets for the quilt raffle can be purchased at the door. You do not need to be present to win.

The Fall Festival concludes on Wednesday, November 4^thfrom 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM^.This is the final day of the Bake Sale and Craft Sale.

This annual community event is truly a time of celebration to see friends, old and new. If you have recently moved to the Cedar Creek Lake area we welcome you to “come and see”. Enjoy a great lunch and become part of the tradition.

Welcome to First Presbyterian Church of Mabank, Texas